BES provides shelter from the storm

BURLINGTON Its never too early to think about winters chill. Burlington Emergency Shelter at 89 North St. in Burlington needed $6,600 to replace the furnace at the Shelter. SCHIP and Charlotte Shelburne Rotary heard of the need and stepped in to help. SCHIP made a $5,000 grant and the Rotary Club gave an additional $1,000. Many of the homeless who come for shelter at BES are from Shelburne, Charlotte, Hinesburg area, said Jim Guiel, executive director of the Emergency Shelter. We are so appreciative that the good folks at SCHIP and Charlotte Shelburne Rotary so generously gave now for the replacement of our original furnace. We can look forward to the cold winters in Vermont knowing our guests will always be warm. Our heating bills will be smaller with our new more efficient gas furnace and, yes, even our carbon foot print will be smaller. The Burlington Emergency Shelter is a Christian Homeless shelter, established in 1982. They are a homeless shelter for up to 14 men and four women. In addition, they run the Good Neighbor Program which can house up to eight men, most of them from the Corrections system looking to change their lives and become productive members of society once again. The Good Neighbor residents partner with BES in the program from six to 12 months. Burlington Emergency Shelter is a non-profit, privately funded organization that relies solely on charitable donations from individuals, churches, businesses and grants.